Hand fish-dressing implement



in 752,118. .TATENTED FEB. 16, 1904.

, P. M., STEARNS. i

.HANDFISH DRESSING IMPLEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

. modifications, the accompanying drawings highly-eflicient article of this character havwhen out of use to be housed therein, a cleaned to be housed in the same-when out of use,

provide areceiving recess or pocket between Patented February 1 6, 1904.

PATENT OF IC FRED M. srEAnNs, OFSTARLAKE, WISCONSIN.

HAND FISHDRVESSING IMPLEMENT.

, srncrrxca'rron forming a-reef Letters s Application filed Mlimh 20, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED M. STEARNS, a citi zen of the United States,- residing at Starlake, in the-county of Vilas and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hand Fish-Dressing Implements, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hand implements for dressing fish; and the object thereof is to provide a compact, simple, durable, and

ing a knife for cutting or slitting the fish and for removing the head, tail, and fins, a blade for cleaning the fish, a scraper for removing the scales therefrom, and gripping means for engaging the skin to remove the same in dressing such fish asare prepared in this manner.

The invention includes the combination and arrangement of component parts and details of construction, as will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

While the invention is susceptible of some illustrate and I shali hereinafter describe in connection therewith what is now conceived to be the preferred embodiment of the same. In the drawings, Figural is a perspective view of the implement in inverted position, showing both of the operating-blades forming a part thereof in their open positions; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the implement with parts broken away, showing but one of the blades'in open position. The invention includes generally a dressing lmpl'einentcomprising a flat body portion, a handle carrying the-same, a sealer rigidly se-- cured to one face of the body, abutting or slitting blade pivoted to the body and designed lug-blade also pivoted to the body and adaptand gripping means associated with the handle and preferably constituting a part thereof.

The body a is preferably constructed of two counterpart fiat plates 6 Z), substantially tri-' angular in shape, spaced a distance apart to the same and held in proximity to their apices m a suitable handle 6'.

atent No. 752,118, are; February 16, 1904;

Serial 1%. 148,709. (Hp model-) A shaped strip 0 is secured, the longitudinal edges of which are serrated, toothed, or otherwise shaped to adapt them for efiiciently removing the scales of the fish.

'Betw'eenthe plates 6 Z, at the'angle of the the edge a, a blade 01 is pivotallymounted, having a cutting edge and a tailpiece or heel d extending beyond the pivot thereof and projecting beyond said edge a when the blade is out of operating position and housed between the' two plates 6 6. This heel is dement in order to force the blade outwardly into operating position without the necessity merely by pressing upon the handle 6. Simi 'larly mounted between the plates 6 6, at the angle of the body a formed by the side a, and the edge a, is a scraper orcleaning blade e, having -a rounded working end with blunt edges and a'tailpiece or heel 6, correspondtion in connection with said blade 2.

4 As will be appreciated, the blades are preferably separately thrown into and out of operative positions, and when so thrown they extend beyond the edge a of the body a sub stantially at right angles thereto and in alinement with said body and handle, and when in such position either of the-blades is manipulated with the greatest facility.

As-will be noted 'in the drawings, the pivotpins for the blades 0? e extend through both of the plates at b and through the strip 0 and serve to retain the latter rigidly in position. As hereinbefore premised, I preferably provide means associated with thehandle for facilitating the removal of the skin from such fish as are dressed in this manner. For this purposea pair of coacting gripping'jaws are associated with the handle, said jaws preferably constituting portions of a pair of pincers, which are associated with and constitute a part of thehandle b. The jaws g g of the pincers axial alinement with the same, and the legs 1 h thereof are housed within said handle and so Illo'one face of the body a, parallel to the outer edge a thereof,,a short channelorusigned to be engaged with a suitable abut-' body a formed by one inclined side a and of gripping the same with the fingers,"but

ing to the heel d and performing a like funcproject beyond the butt of the handle 6 in arranged that they will be pressed together I00 I :to close the jaws by the same action employed in gripping the handle. To accommodate the legs h, the butt-end of the handle is bifurcated or provided with a longitudinally-extending recess 6 which preferably terminates at one end of the same in a pocket 6 the wall 5 of which provides oppositely-arranged stops for limiting the separation of the legs h h,

which are normally forced apart by a spring,

are provided with surfaces which project be'-1.

yond the gripping-surface of the handle when said legs are in normal positions, in which positions the jaws g g are slightly separated, and consequently in order to close said jaws it is only necessary to grip the handle firmly, which [will force said projecting portions of the legs toward each other and within the recess Win the handle. The pincers are constructed, as usual, of two members pivoted together, and in the present exemplification of my invention the pivot m, employed for, connecting said memstantially as described.

bers, also extends through the two limbs bi 6, formed by the bifurcation or recess I2 and servesto hold thepincers in place and the handle rigid. The arrangement thus presents a complete structure, which neither detracts from the appearanceof the handle or interferes with the usual manipulation of the same, but which vprovides for the ready and convenient manipulation of the gripping-jaws.

The construction andloperation of my invention will be readilyunderstood upon reference to the foregoing description and accompanyingdrawings, and it will be appreciated that the parts and combinations recited may be varled within a wide range without depart;

ing from the spirit and scope thereof.-

Having thus described my invention,. what is claimed asnew, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is 4 1. Ina fish-dressing implement, and in combination, ahandle, a triangular'flat body, a channeled strip, having serrated edges, se-

cured to one face thereof and projecting there-.

from, a cutting-blade'pivoted adjacent to one angle of the same, and a cleaning-blade pivoted ad acent to the other angle thereof, sub- 2. In a fish-dressing implement,'and in comblnation; a body portion comprising two flat counterpart triangular plates, a handle rigidly secured thereto arranged at the apex thereof, a cutting-blade pivoted between the, plates ad-- jacent to one of the angles of the same mounted to be swung into housed positions between said plates, a cleaning-blade similarly mounted adjacent to the other angle of the body and a channel-shaped strip having serrated longij tudinal edges, said strip extending transversely of the plates and being secured to the face of one of the same adjacent to the base of the triangle, substantially as described.

'3. In a fish-dressing implement and in combination, a body portion, comprising two counterpart plates, a handle rigidly secured thereto, cutting and cleaning blades mounted between the plates to be housed therebetween and to be thrown into extended positions, a scraper arranged upon the face of .one of the plates and projecting therefrom, and pivotpins for said blades extending through the plates and through the scraper for securing.

the latter rigidly in place, substantially as described.

4. In a fish-dressing implement, the combination with the body portion, slitting and cleaning knives associated therewith, a sealer also associated with-said body portion, a han-. dle and a gripping device partly housed within the latter having jaws projecting from the butt-end thereof in axial alinement therewith, substantially as described.

5. In a fish-dressing implement and in combination, a handle, a flat body portion projecting from one end thereof, cutting-and scraping blades pivoted in the body, a scraper-strip rigidly secured to oneside of the latter, and a gripping device comprising legs housed in said handle, and gripping-jaws projecting from the butt-endthereof in axial alinement therewith, substantially as described.

6. In a fish-dressing implement and in combination, a recessed han'dle having a socket at one end of said recess and a pair of pincers having their jawsprojecting beyond the end of the. handle and their legshoused in said recess with the extremities thereof extending into said socket and coacting with the wall of the same, and means interposed between the legs for forcing them apart, substantially as described. I

7. In a fish-dressing implement, and11'1com-. bination, a bifurcated handle, stops arranged at one end of said bifurcation, a pair of pinyond the butt-end of the handle and; the legs thereof arranged in said bifurcation with the extremities of the same coacting with said stops and a pin for pivotally connecting the two members of the pincers and for securing.

too

I 'c'ers having the jaws thereof projecting be- IZO the latter to the handle, substantially as described. I I

8. In a fish-dressing implement and in combination,a flat body portion, slitting and cleaning blades pivotally mountedtherein, a scraper rigidly secured thereto, a bifurcated handle carrying the body portion, a gripping device comprising two members each including a leg and a jaw portion, and a pin passing through the handle and said members for piv otally connecting the latter to each other and for retaining the gripping device within the bifurcation 9. In a fish-dressing implement and it com-.

bination, a flat body portion, siitting and cleaningblades pivotally mounted therein,a scraper rigidly secured thereto, a bifurcated handle 'ea-rrying the body portion having a socket in one end thereof, and a gripping device comprising two members each-including a leg and a jaw portion, and a pin passing through the 5 handle and said members for pivotally conthe ends of the leg portion into necting the latter to each other and for rethe gripping device the bifurcation in said handle with the jawportions projecting beyond the butt-end thereof, and

20 said socket, snbstantiallyas descrlbed. I

In testimony vdiereof I hereunto sign my name, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Star-lake, in the county of Vilas and State of this 17th day of March, 5

FRED M. STEARNS.

Witnesses: v

ems. Lw, Jia, B. J. VAUGHAN. 

